CNN said Tuesday that it is suing the Trump administration for violating the First Amendment when the White House suspended correspondent Jim Acosta’s press credentials, which allow him to report on site at the White House.
“This morning, CNN filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in DC District Court,” CNN’s top executive, Jeff Zucker, said in a statement. “The White House has violated CNN and Jim Acosta’s First Amendment rights of freedom of the press and Fifth Amendment rights to due process. We are demanding the immediate return of Jim’s White House credential.”
The lawsuit names a Secret Service agent “John Doe” as a defendant for allegedly having blocked Acosta’s access to the White House grounds.
In a statement, the White House said it would “vigorously defend” against the lawsuit from “grandstanding” CNN.
“CNN, who has nearly 50 additional hard pass holders, and Mr. Acosta is no more or less special than any other media outlet or reporter with respect to the First Amendment,” said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. “After Mr. Acosta asked the President two questions — each of which the President answered — he physically refused to surrender a White House microphone to an intern, so that other reporters might ask their questions. This was not the first time this reporter has inappropriately refused to yield to other reporters.
“The White House cannot run an orderly and fair press conference when a reporter acts this way, which is neither appropriate nor professional,” she added. “The First Amendment is not served when a single reporter, of more than 150 present, attempts to monopolize the floor. If there is no check on this type of behavior it impedes the ability of the President, the White House staff, and members of the media to conduct business.”
The White House said last week that it was indefinitely suspending Acosta’s credentials after a heated exchange between him and President Trump at a press conference. After Acosta was called on to ask a question, Trump attempted to move on to another reporter, but Acosta initially refused to relinquish the microphone to a White House intern.
[Related: 6-in-10 say Trump can suspend press pass of Acosta, others]
Sanders claimed that the suspension of Acosta’s credentials because they would not tolerate him “placing his hands on” the intern.
“This is not a step we have taken lightly,” Zucker said. “But the White House action is unprecedented.”
The statement continued, “We have asked this court for an immediate restraining order requiring the pass be returned to Jim, and we will seek permanent relief as part of the process.”
White House Correspondents’ Association President Olivier Knox said that the group, which advocates for more access to the administration and represents much of the national news media, “strongly supports CNN’s goal of seeing their correspondent regain a U.S. Secret Service security credential that the White House should not have taken away in the first place.”
